-
Economics
- Banking & Finance
- Employment & Unemployment
- Future of Work
- Gender at Work
- Gig Economy
- Industry & Sector Policies
- Inequality
- Infrastructure & Construction
- Insecure & Precarious Work
- Labour Standards & Workers' Rights
- Macroeconomics
- Population & Migration
- Public Sector, Procurement & Privatisation
- Retirement
- Science & Technology
- Social Security & Welfare
- Tax, Spending & the Budget
- Unions & Collective Bargaining
- Wages & Entitlements
- Young Workers
- Climate & Energy
- Democracy & Accountability
- Environment
- International & Security Affairs
- Law, Society & Culture
February 2002
Cashing in on Koalas
Against the approximately $1.1 billion contribution koalas make to Australia’s tourism industry, this article proposes leveraging enduring international interest in koalas with proposed conservation efforts and koala culls on Kangaroo Island to create a koala hunting industry that would contribute further to the inbound tourism sector.
January 2002
The Aluminium Smelting Industry: Structure, market power, subsidies and greenhouse gas emissions
The industry in Australia and throughout the world is dominated by a handful of multinationals that have obtained highly favourable arrangements from governments. This paper analyses the structure, ownership, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions of the aluminium smelting industry to examine the likelihood of its relocating offshore and test the consequences, both economic and
December 2001
Population Ageing: Crisis or Transition?
The ‘ageing crisis’ is founded on three main assumptions: that older people are a social and economic burden; that population ageing will result in a serious dependency ratio imbalance; and, that there is a close correspondence between the size of the aged population and increased public expenditure. This paper argues that the transition to an
November 2001
Why cutting Australia’s greenhouse gases will be good for regional jobs
This article explains some of the ways in which regional communities benefit and could continue to benefit from a shift from non-renewable to renewable energy generation, based on the assumption that the decline of non-renewables is inevitable and therefore we should be proactive. Examples show how sustainable energy projects create long term job opportunities and
October 2001
Climate Change and Commonwealth Nations
Climate change is expected to have severe adverse impacts on the majority of Commonwealth countries, especially developing country members. Australia has displayed a callous disregard for the future well-being of the poorest and most vulnerable members of the Commonwealth.
Regional Employment and Greenhouse Policies
A report last year by the Allen Consulting Group has played a pivotal role in reinforcing perceptions that cutting greenhouse gases would result in large economic costs and extensive job losses, especially in regional and rural Australia. The first part of this paper exposes a number of serious errors in the Allen Consulting report on
Corporate Control of Healthcare in Australia
This paper documents the development of the vertical and horizontal integration of the healthcare services sector. It argues that in the Australian context, the private (including the corporate) provision and ownership of health service facilities is more costly than public provision. The paper also demonstrates that, contrary to popular belief, competition does not necessarily benefit
How fair is health spending? The distribution of tax subsidies for health in Australia
This paper shows that instead of encouraging private provision, concessions for private health insurance have been a financial windfall for wealthy households. The existing cash incentives and tax rebates for private health insurance are in urgent need of reform.
September 2001
The idea of a university: Enterprise or academy?
Proceedings of a conference organised by Manning Clark House and The Australia Institute, held on 26 July 2001. The paper includes nine presentations by speakers at the conference, and is edited by Pamela Kinnear.
August 2001
The Medicare levy surcharge arrangement: Tax penalty or hidden tax subsidy?
This study considers the rationale for estimating tax expenditures, and the conceptual basis for measurement. It assesses the current approach to accounting for the surcharge in the TES against international practice and against the stated aims of tax expenditure reporting in Australia.
March 2001
Submission to the Senate Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education References Committee: Inquiry into the capacity of public universities to meet Australia’s higher education needs
Submission No.2: Full fee-paying students and standards
Academic Freedom and Commercialisation of Australian Universities: Perceptions and experiences of social scientists
This is an exploratory study of social scientists’ perceptions and experiences of academic freedom in the new commercial realities of Australian higher education. Focusing specifically on the social sciences this study gives cause for concern about the future of academic freedom.
February 2001
Measuring Employment in the 21st Century: New measures of underemployment and overwork
The system of labour market statistics in Australia is in urgent need of reform. In addition to calling for the collection of new data on the desired amount of work for all workers, this report outlines the benefits of work sharing, and suggests mechanisms for achieving a fairer distribution of work.
December 2000
October 2000
Corporate Welfare: Public Accountability for Industry Assistance
This study examines the different form of industry assistance provided by government in Australia; assesses the extent to which information is publicly available; outlines the criteria upon which assistance is made available, and evaluates the monitoring procedures adopted by governments where assistance is provided.
September 2000
Tax expenditures and public health financing in Australia
This study breaks new ground by examining how the benefits of tax concessions for health expenditures, such as the rebate for health insurance, have been distributed amongst taxpayer income groups. It shows for the first time the value of the tax relief arising from the Medicare levy surcharge for those with private health insurance.
August 2000
Mutual Obligation – Ethical and social implications
This paper is a philosophical investigation of the mutual obligation principle and its application to current welfare policy.
July 2000
The Decade of Landcare: Looking Backward – Looking Forward
This paper looks back at the achievements and failures of Landcare after ten years. The authors put forward a set of proposals for the future that goes much further than anything previously suggested.
June 2000
Avoiding Recessions and Australian Long-Term Unemployment
This paper examines the relationship between recessions and the size and duration of long-term unemployment. The results should leave us in no doubt that just a few poor years of economic growth have very significant medium-term implications for long-term unemployment.
May 2000
Indicators of a Sustainable Community: Measuring Quality of Life in Newcastle
This discussion paper is part of the Australia Institute’s work program on measuring quality of life. The Institute has formed a collaborative partnership with Newcastle City Council to build an indicator series against which the Newcastle community’s progress towards sustainability can be measured.
March 2000
Regulating Blood
The Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL) was sold in 1994 by the Commonwealth and became a privately owned company, tasked with the processing of blood. Since its privatisation it has been accused of allowing hepatitis-C and CJD to infect the blood. This document focuses on the $400 million given to CSL by the Commonwealth between 1994
February 2000
The Implications of the GST for Charities
The Prime Minister has given a guarantee that charities will be no worse off under the GST. This paper argues that this guarantee can only be met if substantial changes are made to the definition of what constitutes a charity and its “non-commercial” activities.
January 2000
Land-use change and Australia’s Kyoto target
Submission No. 4 to the Senate Environment References Committee Inquiry into Australia’s Response to Global Warming
December 1999
Population Growth and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
This paper is the first comprehensive investigation of the relationship between population growth and greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. There are four parts to the analysis each of which reaches some striking conclusions.
November 1999
Subsidies to the aluminium industry and climate change
A submission to Senate Environment References Committee Inquiry into Australia’s Response to Global Warming
September 1999
Quality of Life in Australia: An analysis of public perceptions
This study uses a survey of 1200 Australians to investigate public perceptions of quality of life in Australia. It contradicts recent claims of a new mood of optimism in Australia and adds to the body of evidence that suggests our policy makers give too much emphasis to economic growth at all costs.
Public Expenditure on Services for Indigenous People: Education, Employment, Health and Housing
This study comprises a comprehensive assessment of public spending on education, employment, health and housing services for indigenous Australians compared with non-indigenous Australians. It shows that, contrary to claims made recently, public spending on programs for indigenous people is not excessive, and the advantages indigenous people gain from this expenditure are minuscule compared with the
August 1999
Business Tax Reform and the Environment: Emissions trading as a tax reform option
The purpose of this paper is to explore a number of feasible reforms to business taxation that go further than the Ralph review. It argues for the early introduction of a domestic emissions trading system as part of the tax restructuring program, in order to address our greenhouse commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. It recommends
June 1999
Competing Interests: Competition policy in the welfare sector
Competition policy and competitive tendering has caused much anxiety in the welfare sector. Will the supposed increase in efficiency cost too much in terms of reduced cooperation between welfare agencies, reduced choice for clients and increased administrative costs for agencies? This study is based on extensive interviews with 37 people from five States and Territories,
March 1999
Joint Submission to the Senate Select Committee On a New Tax System
Submission presented jointly the Australia Institute, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Australian Medical Association to the Senate Committee